Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for mounting a sign or display, and in particular to a magnetic or hook display mounting system and method.
Description of the Related Art
Signs and displays are used extensively in stores, theaters, shopping centers, recreational facilities, schools, tradeshows, restaurants, and other public places. Some signs are permanent signs to direct customers and others to locations within the facility, such as to exits or restrooms. However, temporary signs and displays are frequently used to display information to the customers or others, such as to announce a sale or a new product or service, to identifying a location of an item or departments within the facility, or other uses.
The signs or displays are preferably mounted at readily visible locations within the facility. One such visible location is to mount the sign or display suspended from a ceiling. The facility may have a suspended ceiling that includes a metal gridwork or grid structure that supports ceiling tiles. The sign or display may be mounted to the gridwork by an employee, for example, climbing a ladder or stepping onto a box or crate to reach the gridwork so as to affix the sign or display. The risk of falling or other injury is a very real possibility, particularly if the ladder, box or crate is set on a wet or uneven floor, if the employee must reach beyond the safe limit of the ladder, or if other customers or displays are nearby so as to prevent an ideal positioning of the ladder, or simply if the employee is unsteady when climbing the ladder or atop the crate.
A known sign holding and mounting device has been provided that utilizes an elongated pole to position a sign holding and mounting channel or sign holder for attachment to a ceiling grid structure using clamps on the sign holder to engage the grid structure or an elongated flexible magnet affixed to the sign holder for fastening to a ceiling grid. The sign holder channel is held in a gripper on the elongated pole, is clamped or magnetically affixed to the ceiling grid structure using the flexible magnet strip, and is released by the gripper using a rope to open a jaw on the gripper. The gripper can be difficult to open as a result of high spring force on the gripper jaw and the configuration of the gripper. It would be an improvement over the art if the gripper jaw were easier for the user to open, while still retaining the sign holding channel with sufficient holding force.
The gripper mounted on the end of the pole engages the sign holding channel by grasping and engaging a smooth plastic surface on the channel. The known sign holding channel may slip in the gripper as a result of the gripper engaging the smooth plastic surface of the channel, particularly when the channel is being moved about with a sign or display suspended from it. For example, the channel and the sign suspended from it may slip out of the gripper as the sign is being moved to an overhead position at the ceiling or when the channel and sign are being removed from an overhead position at the ceiling. This can result in frustration by the user, damage from the falling sign, and even a risk of injury. It would be an improvement over the art to prevent slipping of the channel in the gripper.
The known sign holding channel holds the sign or display using block-end hooks mounted in the channel. The block-end hooks can slip in the channel, such as during mounting and un-mounting of the sign or display from the overhead position or when the sign is subject to wind or other forces. Slipping of the block-end hooks in the channel may result in the sign or display becoming uneven or may even cause the sign or display to dislodge or fall. It would be an improvement to prevent slipping of the sign or display from the sign mounting channel.
The known sign holding and mounting channel may become dislodged from the ceiling grid as a result of weak magnetic attraction between the ceiling grid and the flexible magnetic strip on the channel. It would be an improvement to provide greater holding strength for the sign mounting channel.
The known sign holding and mounting channel may only be affixed to a ceiling grid of a suspended ceiling. It would be an improvement to permit a sign mounting channel to be affixed to other ceiling types. It would also be an improvement to permit a sign holding channel to be affixed to a wall surface or in a window. It would be a further improvement to provide ease of mounting for small or light weight display elements.